American Sportfishing Association

Leading the Way for Sportfishing’s Future

SPORTFISHING
in America

A N E C O N O M I C F O R C E F O R C O N S E R VAT I O N

J A N U A R Y 2 013

WHAT IS THE
AMERICAN SPORTFISHING
ASSOCIATION?
The American Sportfishing
Association (ASA) is the sportfishing
industry’s trade association
committed to representing the
interests of the entire sportfishing
community.
We give the industry a unified voice,
speaking out on behalf of sportfishing
and boating industries, state and
federal natural resource agencies,
conservation organizations, angler
advocacy groups and outdoor
journalists when emerging laws and
policies could significantly affect
sportfishing business or sportfishing
itself.
ASA invests in long-term ventures to
ensure the industry will remain strong
and prosperous, as well as safeguard
and promote the enduring social,
economic and conservation values of
sportfishing in America.
ASA also gives America’s 60 million
anglers a voice in policy decisions
that affect their ability to sustainably
fish on our nation’s waterways
through KeepAmericaFishing,™ our
angler advocacy campaign.
ASA also represents the interests of
America’s nearly 60 million anglers
who generated $48 billion in retail
sales with a $115 billion impact
on the nation’s economy creating
employment for more than 828,000
people in 2011.
2 • www.ASAfishing.org
This is
Sportfishing
in America
DRIVE PAST ANY LAKE, river or beach and odds are you will see people, even
entire families, gathered along the shore or in boats fishing. Fishing is, after all, one
of America’s most enduring pastimes; something in which people of all ages can
participate and an activity that millions of families
and friends enjoy each year as a way to have fun
together and spend time in the outdoors.
But fishing is more than just the thrill of the
catch or a peaceful – and sometimes adventurous –
escape. It’s the foundation of an industry that
supports more than 800,000 jobs involved in the
manufacture, sale or provision of angling products
and services, such as hotels, tackle retailers, boat
builders, restaurants and more.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s (USFWS)
2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and
Wildlife-Associated Recreation identifies fishing
as one of the most popular outdoor recreational
activities in the
United States.
As many
as 33 million people aged 16 or older participate
in the activity, and spend $48 billion annually on
equipment, licenses, trips and other fishing-related
items or events.
These funds help create and support more than
828,000 jobs in the United States at a time when
many industries are still coping with a challenging
economic climate. In some rural areas, the dollars
brought in through recreational fishing help support
entire communities.
Anglers support more than
828,000 JOBS
in the U.S.
 Even more important are the vital conservation benefits fishing generates for
our nation’s waters and fish. Since the passage of the 1950 Federal Aid in Sport Fish
Restoration Act, anglers have paid a federal excise tax on fishing tackle. In 1985 those
taxes were expanded to include the federal excise tax on motorboat fuel in what is now
known as the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund.
These tax revenues are distributed annually to state fish and wildlife agencies
to help fund projects and programs that directly benefit fish, habitat and, ultimately,
anglers and other recreational water enthusiasts.
In 2010 alone, the excise tax on sportfishing tackle amounted to $390 million.
Along with the $657 million contributed by anglers through fishing license fees
and $403 million in private donations, anglers generated $1.45 billion for fisheries
conservation efforts.

www.ASAfishing.org • 3
 The
Economic
Benefits
of Sportfishing
NEAR THE SANTEE-COOPER LAKES in South Carolina, Strawberry Reservoir in
Utah, Lake Okeechobee in Florida, the White River in Arkansas and countless other
lakes, rivers and seaside areas across the U.S., there are many communities that
depend on the dollars from recreational anglers and related tourism for many of their
citizen’s livelihoods.
From direct product and service providers such as marinas, fishing guides and
tackle shops to the businesses that help anglers enjoy their experience on the water
SO HOW MANY
such as restaurants, gas stations and hotels, the $1,441 spent annually by the average
ANGLERS ARE THERE?
American angler in 2011 supported jobs that generated $35 billion in salaries and
Fishing is enjoyed by people of all wages. Examine anglers’ expenditures and you’ll find that over half went to purchase
ages. No one is ever too young or food, lodging, transportation and other travel items. The money spent by companies
too old to enjoy a day on the water and employees supporting anglers created an economic multiplier effect with a
enjoying nature and catching fish. $115 billion impact on the nation’s economy in 2011.
Based on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service’s (USFWS) 2011 survey, there
are 33 million anglers in the United
States over the age of 16. Previous
surveys by the USFWS indicated there
was one youth angler (under 16 years
of age) for every 2.5 adults over 16
years of age who fished.
If this ratio still holds, there are
13 million youths who fished in 2011,
for a total of approximately 46 million
anglers. Recent examinations of
state fishing license records indicate
many anglers will not buy a license
every year.
Possibly one-third to one-half of
people who consider themselves
anglers may not be able to fish in a
given year due to a variety of reasons.
Overall, ASA estimates approximately
60 million Americans may consider
themselves to be anglers, regardless
of buying a license in any one
given year.

4 • www.ASAfishing.org
Economic Contributions by Type of Fishing
All Fishing Freshwater Saltwater Great Lakes
Anglers 33,111,674 27,059,745 8,888,832 1,664,824
Expenditures/Retail $47,697,532,293 $30,601,946,954 $13,416,585,025 $2,971,195,133
Sales
Total Multiplier Effect 
(Economic Output) $114,531,945,219 $73,323,352,261 $32,279,006,619 $7,227,424,732

Salaries and Wages $35,259,134,752 $22,195,330,849 $9,922,342,619 $2,205,174,067

Jobs 828,133 518,270 243,226 49,298
Contribution to Gross
Domestic Product $61,721,729,003 $39,202,948,762 $17,446,689,683 $3,797,932,801
(GDP)
Federal, State and $14,955,905,485 $9,530,277,934 $4,242,361,691 $918,163,495
Local Taxes

Top 10 States Ranked by Angler Expenditures

Rank State Total Expenditures Number of Anglers
1. Florida $4,953,493,028 3,091,952
2. New York $2,696,583,564 1,882,280
3. Michigan  $2,465,535,795 1,744,206
4. Minnesota  $2,440,230,389 1,561,881
5. California $2,393,961,476 1,673,633 U.S. FISHING FACTS
6. Texas $2,014,497,308 2,246,367
•  There are approximately 60 million 
7. Ohio $1,903,619,503 1,341,657
anglers in the U.S. of which
8. North Carolina $1,655,538,064 1,524,578
46 million are estimated to fish in a
9. Wisconsin $1,459,883,024 1,246,775
given year.
10. Virginia $1,407,011,422 832,641
•  Anglers generate $48 billion in 
retail sales.
Top 10 States: Non-Resident Fishing Destinations
•  Recreational fishing has a 
Ranked by Number of Visiting Anglers $115 billion impact on the nation’s
Number of Total Non-Resident economy.
Rank State Non-Resident Anglers Expenditures
1. Florida 1,197,279 $898,283,876 •  Recreational fishing generates 
2. Michigan  347,029 $326,337,857 $15 billion in state and federal
3. Wisconsin 336,753 $445,006,874 taxes.
4. North Carolina 328,810 $260,296,738 •  More than 828,000 jobs are 
5. Alaska 327,418 $361,768,322
supported through recreational
6. New York 297,070 $282,573,249
fishing.
7. Oregon 264,424 $241,771,577
8. Minnesota  259,324 $364,108,877 •  One of every four anglers fishes in 
9. New Jersey 256,950 $106,323,764 saltwater.
10. Missouri  244,290 $205,686,074
•  Fishing tackle sales grew over 
16 percent in the past five years.

Angler numbers •  Since 2006, angler numbers grew 

11 percent.

grew
11
PERCENT
since 2006
www.ASAfishing.org • 5

DID YOU KNOW
•  Recreational fishing – both fresh and  fact, accounting for regional variations,
saltwater combined – ranks higher
than bowling or playing basketball,
softball or soccer, according to data
from the National Sporting Goods
Association.
•  More Americans fish than play golf 
(21 million) and tennis (13 million)
combined.
•  If fishing were a company, the  which go directly toward the operations of state fish and wildlife agencies, and
amount spent by anglers to
support fishing-related retail sales
would rank number 51 on the
Fortune 500™ list.
•  Fishing generated more revenue  collected on the sale of fishing gear,
($48 billion) than Lockheed Martin  boats and boat fuel added another $390
($47 billion), Intel ($44 billion),
Chrysler ($42 billion) or Google
($38 billion).
•  The economic activity generated 
by sportfishing is greater than the
economies, measured in Gross State
Product, of 17 states.
•  At more than 46 million anglers in  anglers – men, women and children – there would be few fish and little quality habitat.
2011, more than twice the number of
people fished in 2011 than attended
every NFL game combined.
6 • www.ASAfishing.org
Thank
an Angler!
THANK AMERICA’S ANGLERS if you enjoy clean, healthy lakes, rivers and
oceans teaming with a dynamic variety of fish and shorebird species, since it’s their
dollars that provide the bulk of the funding for our nation’s fisheries conservation and
environmental success.
In fact, you would be hard pressed
to find any group of people in the country
who contributes more: nearly $1.5
billion annually. And angler numbers are
growing – 11 percent overall in the five
years since the last national survey. In
some angling demographics actually
increased by a larger percentage,
including Great Lakes anglers, whose
numbers grew by 17 percent and
saltwater anglers, whose numbers
increased by 15 percent.
This growing legion of anglers is the
economic engine that helps keep fisheries
conservation moving successfully forward through the purchase of fishing licenses,
through the federal excise tax on fishing tackle as part of the long-running Sport Fish
Restoration and Boating Trust Fund.
License sales in 2010 amounted
to $657 million, while the excise taxes
million in support of conservation efforts
carried out in each state. It’s a model that
virtually powers itself.
In addition, anglers donate over
$400 million more each year to various
conservation and fishing organizations.
Without fish and good habitat, there
would be no anglers, and without
The year 2012 marked the 75th anniversary of our nation’s system of conservation
funding – a model that is envied throughout the world – that directs excise taxes on
fishing and hunting gear toward state-based conservation. The Sport Fish Restoration
and Boating Trust Fund has resulted in robust fish and wildlife populations and quality
habitat that is the legacy of the sportfishing industry and sportsmen and women alike.
Number of Anglers and Days of Fishing by State in 2011*
Non- Total Total Non- Freshwater Saltwater Great
Total Resident Fishing Resident Freshwater Fishing Saltwater Fishing Lakes Great Lakes
Anglers† Anglers Days Fishing Days
††
Anglers Days Anglers Days Anglers Fishing Days
Alaska 537,927 327,418 4,360,282 1,287,096 301,976 2,995,374 333,747 1,446,457 - -
Alabama 682,625 209,661 10,878,339 973,788 597,773 9,745,750 133,676 1,490,312 - -
Arkansas 554,861 96,667 15,661,592 606,738 554,861 15,661,592 - - - -
Arizona 636,966 104,385 4,825,183 684,382 636,966 4,825,183 - - - -
California 1,673,633 97,967 23,753,676 486,605 1,352,402 17,382,021 775,329 7,192,655 - -
Colorado 767,365 174,817 8,433,019 942,862 767,365 8,433,019 - - - -
Connecticut 341,995 65,349 4,704,820 309,996 243,285 3,518,120 164,864 1,291,469 - -
Delaware 165,935 106,807 2,051,866 723,793 54,724 654,925 138,392 1,338,609 - -
Florida 3,091,952 1,197,279 57,593,836 9,543,924 1,214,263 25,729,028 2,397,610 36,347,826 - -
Georgia 828,869 64,872 8,728,549 272,829 762,738 8,106,020 139,294 727,593 - -
Hawaii 156,720 53,103 1,881,789 176,750 10,113 84,643 155,126 1,793,516 - -
Iowa 473,307 57,522 5,977,722 187,449 473,307 5,977,722 - - - -
Idaho 446,718 208,418 5,506,803 3,341,667 446,718 5,506,803 - - - -
Illinois 1,043,780 88,333 13,343,239 396,939 936,501 12,312,455 - - 69,300 147,545
Indiana 800,749 80,583 20,774,883 536,779 716,309 19,324,014 - - 26,691 113,863
Kansas 400,291 28,059 4,163,391 74,984 400,291 4,163,391 - - - -
Kentucky 554,163 102,860 10,245,109 859,669 554,163 10,245,109 - - - -
Louisiana 824,949 125,028 18,079,467 493,704 719,933 16,665,476 195,798 1,532,519 - -
Massachusetts 531,707 154,583 8,367,439 778,903 294,264 4,499,001 323,077 4,048,841 - -
Maryland 426,065 79,509 4,710,872 550,468 227,210 3,159,998 223,921 1,533,112 - -
Maine 341,154 148,635 3,873,441 976,016 283,268 3,223,132 133,226 755,746 - -
Michigan 1,744,206 347,029 28,177,222 2,163,703 1,360,860 20,961,114 - - 649,639 10,987,320
Minnesota 1,561,881 259,324 21,702,319 1,743,039 1,413,210 20,768,202 - - 45,578 206,745
Missouri 1,071,487 244,290 14,865,153 1,602,573 1,071,487 14,865,153 - - - -
Mississippi 650,905 50,986 9,175,753 674,787 609,386 7,751,207 120,161 2,293,475 - -
Montana 267,213 82,129 2,449,880 358,495 267,213 2,449,880 - - - -
North Carolina 1,524,578 328,810 23,471,581 1,532,266 1,053,713 15,763,631 632,341 4,503,751 - -
North Dakota** - - - - - - - - - -
Nebraska 206,967 30,209 2,594,636 102,110 206,967 2,594,636 - - - -
New Hampshire 228,087 75,412 4,369,752 499,357 208,913 3,606,384 49,171 730,144 - -
New Jersey 766,085 256,950 9,454,230 1,367,089 258,108 2,679,638 603,966 7,019,976 - -
New Mexico 278,016 65,264 3,899,329 277,548 278,016 3,899,329 - - - -
Nevada 146,541 32,139 1,400,222 104,879 146,541 1,400,222 - - - -
New York 1,882,280 297,070 29,874,128 2,070,604 1,212,213 19,199,694 800,811 7,683,521 331,774 4,484,574
Ohio 1,341,657 84,998 16,873,802 609,419 1,160,578 14,039,907 - - 343,626 2,160,773
Oklahoma 729,191 49,102 8,499,045 555,566 729,191 8,499,045 - - - -
Oregon 637,746 264,424 5,658,437 1,262,784 516,149 5,201,489 176,521 607,738 - -
Pennsylvania 1,101,173 210,020 10,136,323 1,772,198 874,082 8,906,314 - - 119,742 387,356
Rhode Island 174,882 96,061 2,079,990 500,635 41,983 738,755 151,138 1,430,260 - -
South Carolina 743,818 182,404 11,188,820 702,047 537,136 9,221,130 305,063 2,318,090 - -
South Dakota 267,862 111,687 4,068,780 543,548 267,862 4,068,780 - - - -
Tennessee 826,293 116,875 16,956,832 915,811 826,293 16,956,832 - - - -
Texas 2,246,367 113,748 30,667,265 1,095,014 1,757,691 22,616,480 750,759 8,157,241 - -
Utah 413,568 70,130 5,979,364 606,114 413,568 5,979,364 - - - -
Virginia 832,641 184,089 10,520,649 1,153,474 551,316 7,903,627 428,584 2,771,687 - -
Vermont 207,014 112,395 2,215,244 463,883 207,014 2,215,244 - - - -
Washington 938,053 102,562 13,448,784 341,327 743,336 10,939,821 401,377 2,699,664 - -
Wisconsin 1,246,775 336,753 21,283,610 6,707,662 1,106,738 19,950,280 - - 178,268 1,246,411
West Virginia 305,122 83,501 4,521,064 249,664 305,122 4,521,064 - - - -
Wyoming 302,758 193,076 5,340,231 3,331,254 302,758 5,340,231 - - - -
United States 33,111,674 6,963,989 553,841,086 57,528,963 27,059,745 443,222,665 8,888,832 99,473,902 1,664,824 19,660,829
* These numbers only report the number of anglers 16 years and older. Detailed data were not available for anglers 6–15 years of age. ** North Dakota has expressed concerns regarding their estimated
number of anglers. Please refer to license data for alternate estimates. † Includes resident and non-resident anglers. †† Includes resident and non-resident fishing days. Source: 2011 National Survey of
Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

www.ASAfishing.org • 7
Economic Impact of Sportfishing by State, All Types of Fishing in 2011
Total Multiplier Salaries Federal State and Local
Retail Sales or Ripple Effect and Wages Jobs Tax Revenues Tax Revenues
Alaska† $718,452,401 $1,073,716,980 $358,679,292 9,992 $73,987,017 $86,459,590
Alabama $736,194,840 $1,103,378,857 $320,214,191 10,489 $70,240,159 $61,184,997
Arkansas $517,364,731 $740,783,174 $232,560,542 7,801 $51,806,775 $50,109,458
Arizona $893,418,656 $1,514,085,259 $490,946,268 12,505 $108,821,355 $89,281,673
California $2,393,961,476 $4,580,356,969 $1,573,094,107 35,748 $365,552,269 $334,401,009
Colorado $857,405,955 $1,350,633,849 $430,026,121 10,338 $102,804,411 $83,185,649
Connecticut $446,137,179 $762,966,357 $273,332,655 6,625 $68,287,470 $53,723,252
Delaware $109,167,791 $149,140,677 $42,741,504 1,319 $11,259,350 $11,951,595
Florida $4,953,493,028 $8,663,464,085 $2,702,670,214 80,211 $685,323,663 $516,516,023
Georgia $1,306,650,305 $2,104,417,872 $622,480,242 15,644 $147,791,801 $109,281,377
Hawaii $239,713,712 $331,199,373 $106,579,841 3,007 $21,788,329 $22,394,047
Iowa $330,071,230 $486,330,879 $146,685,016 4,574 $33,646,934 $29,792,679
Idaho $548,392,876 $756,524,527 $229,664,505 7,252 $54,084,065 $49,541,983
Illinois $1,020,000,407 $1,731,374,441 $548,144,825 13,548 $136,903,628 $118,506,781
Indiana $693,739,202 $1,056,572,919 $325,000,798 10,293 $78,919,648 $76,365,973
Kansas $224,448,862 $321,315,860 $103,609,537 3,131 $24,807,182 $21,997,805
Kentucky $862,888,495 $1,254,442,696 $361,029,199 12,059 $82,294,089 $69,516,147
Louisiana $958,784,822 $1,452,463,864 $453,441,513 13,265 $93,009,897 $93,390,154
Massachusetts $475,486,261 $829,874,861 $303,259,366 7,213 $72,009,674 $55,746,533
Maryland $549,436,134 $844,266,915 $258,791,438 6,209 $61,010,190 $51,680,339
Maine $395,692,015 $614,401,445 $201,165,974 6,723 $44,501,743 $42,878,034
Michigan $2,465,535,795 $4,270,036,038 $1,447,918,090 37,989 $335,597,718 $287,082,977
Minnesota $2,440,230,389 $4,199,672,948 $1,311,490,021 35,462 $319,557,705 $264,335,621
Missouri $692,954,973 $1,126,041,058 $361,357,550 10,842 $84,547,273 $73,509,816
Mississippi $902,096,726 $1,242,395,964 $349,050,297 11,073 $73,449,699 $74,823,920
Montana $349,913,031 $499,332,328 $147,910,383 5,375 $38,361,371 $36,895,735
North Carolina $1,655,538,064 $2,710,255,374 $899,667,215 25,712 $203,218,395 $177,290,388
North Dakota†† $74,100,683 $105,958,178 $34,859,486 1,210 $7,626,233 $9,436,565
Nebraska $217,640,644 $335,635,429 $106,275,569 3,230 $23,561,091 $21,225,298
New Hampshire $210,095,175 $332,818,486 $114,048,866 3,614 $27,758,574 $23,905,031
New Jersey $1,146,551,669 $1,866,013,788 $583,147,807 15,386 $158,769,630 $137,228,333
New Mexico $433,283,763 $607,518,472 $186,044,225 5,487 $40,433,851 $42,284,888
Nevada $189,689,911 $279,450,004 $92,700,327 2,268 $21,025,417 $16,507,952
New York $2,696,583,564 $4,475,253,164 $1,526,230,881 32,317 $356,339,771 $332,964,752
Ohio $1,903,619,503 $2,925,344,790 $789,311,723 26,354 $208,530,370 $203,191,366
Oklahoma $821,069,868 $1,161,687,253 $301,144,447 11,342 $84,503,409 $77,341,322
Oregon $680,636,132 $1,172,481,577 $382,802,979 11,043 $91,781,493 $72,381,359
Pennsylvania $502,996,175 $853,281,964 $303,917,251 9,587 $72,812,786 $59,880,258
Rhode Island $135,428,891 $207,341,447 $73,301,720 2,056 $17,264,447 $15,484,543
South Carolina $865,561,873 $1,328,324,440 $431,065,953 19,994 $104,618,601 $74,244,785
South Dakota $313,888,605 $421,892,121 $126,326,966 3,747 $28,801,493 $25,108,727
Tennessee $1,279,223,286 $2,051,674,603 $690,098,985 17,542 $149,376,195 $112,094,480
Texas $2,014,497,308 $3,608,911,137 $1,144,653,689 29,824 $260,143,658 $195,917,234
Utah $489,764,385 $799,945,482 $253,475,908 7,207 $56,338,487 $49,702,967
Virginia $1,407,011,422 $2,138,776,268 $642,302,699 18,672 $164,573,465 $139,406,127
Vermont $147,111,097 $225,001,690 $73,224,447 2,420 $17,139,314 $15,966,003
Washington $1,186,275,897 $1,956,335,653 $625,222,636 16,211 $150,271,880 $119,631,627
Wisconsin $1,459,883,024 $2,267,459,700 $667,112,559 21,542 $166,477,700 $148,668,219
West Virginia $448,099,697 $626,474,347 $199,013,407 7,208 $45,426,838 $45,289,085
Wyoming $476,766,960 $664,347,694 $238,166,287 9,008 $54,828,250 $28,364,285
United States††† $47,697,532,293 $114,531,945,219 $35,259,134,752 828,133 $8,224,085,681 $6,731,819,804
† The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) has expressed concern regarding the expenditure estimates from the USFWS National Survey. Readers may wish to defer to economic statistics
produced by the ADFG. †† North Dakota has expressed concerns regarding their estimated number of anglers. Please refer to license data for alternate estimates. † Includes resident and non-resident
anglers. ††† The sum of the states is about one percent less than the U.S. total. The difference comes from anglers unable to assign some expenditures to any specific state. For example, an online purchase
that is then used in multiple states.

8 • www.ASAfishing.org
Economic Impact of Freshwater Fishing by State in 2011
Total Multiplier Salaries Federal State and Local
Retail Sales or Ripple Effect and Wages Jobs Tax Revenues Tax Revenues
Alaska† $390,455,542 $580,993,450 $188,878,215 5,261 $38,988,480 $48,168,228
Alabama $514,154,996 $776,012,671 $231,866,667 7,845 $51,356,071 $47,232,865
Arkansas $507,855,831 $725,249,570 $222,334,267 7,549 $49,830,096 $49,462,412
Arizona $862,298,181 $1,456,854,992 $464,810,603 12,007 $103,458,290 $86,916,175
California $1,417,629,003 $2,704,701,141 $921,946,336 21,515 $213,770,199 $198,127,762
Colorado $836,049,866 $1,314,006,542 $408,940,231 9,942 $98,445,119 $81,477,253
Connecticut $168,308,427 $285,969,244 $101,365,735 2,437 $25,817,247 $22,305,922
Delaware $12,759,486 $18,206,232 $6,146,028 173 $1,366,397 $1,347,706
Florida $977,018,002 $1,689,575,866 $520,689,055 14,040 $129,932,870 $97,608,385
Georgia $993,650,535 $1,607,081,758 $487,200,968 12,536 $116,498,117 $87,783,143
Hawaii $22,549,618 $26,394,773 $7,654,418 202 $1,555,053 $1,511,733
Iowa $323,260,844 $475,156,512 $140,198,334 4,427 $32,357,375 $29,249,470
Idaho $515,737,238 $705,277,170 $198,543,657 6,556 $47,820,014 $47,230,834
Illinois $933,451,515 $1,572,737,782 $489,634,660 12,359 $123,703,047 $108,596,388
Indiana $663,443,749 $1,008,810,558 $305,769,530 9,805 $74,639,593 $73,766,433
Kansas $217,603,874 $310,007,835 $96,152,266 2,949 $23,345,989 $21,514,041
Kentucky $854,326,602 $1,240,022,840 $351,612,169 11,852 $80,542,340 $68,902,310
Louisiana $603,081,322 $912,819,899 $286,114,887 8,363 $58,543,402 $58,539,594
Massachusetts $146,228,713 $248,215,828 $86,510,958 2,127 $21,027,310 $17,769,876
Maryland $406,854,404 $609,146,140 $175,756,757 4,020 $41,246,734 $34,308,875
Maine $273,456,161 $423,408,882 $133,834,888 4,530 $29,995,120 $30,603,293
Michigan $1,141,036,276 $1,940,341,027 $619,087,513 17,156 $151,007,274 $139,166,532
Minnesota $2,320,146,413 $3,979,217,295 $1,221,563,596 33,209 $298,670,300 $250,000,060
Missouri $669,761,464 $1,085,076,122 $340,945,086 10,344 $80,313,790 $71,249,964
Mississippi $458,656,309 $628,772,461 $176,510,964 5,637 $37,179,379 $38,483,041
Montana $304,116,923 $429,227,798 $121,015,027 4,550 $31,965,362 $31,747,501
North Carolina $749,934,465 $1,217,456,822 $401,839,252 11,193 $90,604,288 $80,734,150
North Dakota†† $72,738,103 $103,821,939 $33,397,440 1,172 $7,332,526 $9,298,340
Nebraska $210,607,924 $323,918,163 $100,219,885 3,076 $22,334,717 $20,600,233
New Hampshire $111,642,050 $176,596,227 $59,201,639 2,107 $14,556,731 $13,038,996
New Jersey $262,822,407 $408,936,065 $115,583,385 3,241 $34,755,733 $32,470,409
New Mexico $424,936,372 $594,033,549 $177,278,250 5,302 $38,739,719 $41,732,726
Nevada $182,050,470 $266,826,141 $85,889,466 2,152 $19,585,371 $15,930,980
New York $839,301,301 $1,391,576,734 $458,897,320 9,296 $109,158,992 $108,124,836
Ohio $1,391,620,187 $2,119,747,271 $557,269,663 18,811 $149,620,126 $148,527,683
Oklahoma $807,515,605 $1,139,429,364 $289,927,606 11,087 $82,215,304 $76,125,399
Oregon $500,852,664 $869,271,534 $275,042,949 8,324 $66,820,783 $53,955,770
Pennsylvania $416,652,083 $699,865,663 $242,733,277 8,037 $58,514,838 $49,157,022
Rhode Island $25,085,633 $36,474,752 $12,371,219 353 $2,940,532 $2,761,925
South Carolina $586,834,001 $897,282,708 $290,463,989 9,147 $71,195,126 $52,216,395
South Dakota $306,541,212 $410,560,590 $118,778,351 3,558 $27,307,291 $24,780,875
Tennessee $1,260,605,320 $2,016,625,907 $668,289,864 17,075 $145,112,186 $111,056,978
Texas $851,982,068 $1,523,351,447 $473,541,236 12,363 $109,709,319 $87,191,653
Utah $473,976,891 $771,520,958 $239,040,209 6,858 $53,393,817 $48,109,528
Virginia $864,064,448 $1,295,588,707 $385,885,573 11,496 $101,313,898 $86,658,382
Vermont $143,159,827 $218,407,554 $69,206,280 2,334 $16,321,636 $15,667,826
Washington $795,510,532 $1,305,274,510 $404,765,504 10,617 $97,314,507 $79,136,421
Wisconsin $1,302,884,529 $2,005,402,272 $565,658,587 18,696 $143,422,987 $132,312,905
West Virginia $442,571,467 $617,811,663 $193,105,034 7,063 $44,293,906 $44,918,702
Wyoming $458,137,962 $637,595,532 $219,406,253 8,623 $50,788,226 $27,681,561
United States††† $30,601,946,954 $73,323,352,261 $22,195,330,849 518,270 $5,203,555,134 $4,326,722,800
† The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) has expressed concern regarding the expenditure estimates from the USFWS National Survey. Readers may wish to defer to economic statistics
produced by the ADFG. †† North Dakota has expressed concerns regarding their estimated number of anglers. Please refer to license data for alternate estimates. † Includes resident and non-resident
anglers. ††† Small sample size (N = 10 to 30). Use results with caution.

www.ASAfishing.org • 9
Economic Impact of Saltwater Fishing by State in 2011
Total Multiplier Salaries Federal State and Local
Retail Sales or Ripple Effect and Wages Jobs Tax Revenues Tax Revenues
Alaska† $311,177,096 $466,252,320 $152,337,216 4,433 $31,697,538 $37,115,124
Alabama $214,726,406 $315,069,227 $80,304,577 2,469 $17,369,339 $13,487,212
California $912,235,607 $1,747,276,278 $577,058,036 13,118 $136,555,869 $129,364,106
Connecticut $271,891,817 $466,370,051 $165,692,344 4,098 $41,070,915 $30,924,256
Delaware $94,590,653 $127,988,831 $34,608,759 1,108 $9,515,007 $10,475,916
Florida $3,929,115,544 $6,882,928,390 $2,128,186,840 65,212 $544,013,771 $416,193,512
Georgia $305,666,072 $483,602,702 $126,750,273 2,916 $29,633,102 $20,969,298
Hawaii $216,771,862 $304,176,449 $98,508,995 2,799 $20,158,621 $20,855,905
Louisiana $347,327,388 $525,289,616 $158,364,227 4,715 $32,886,617 $34,333,181
Massachusetts $318,845,787 $562,140,196 $204,708,079 4,883 $48,461,966 $36,975,236
Maryland $133,088,741 $218,824,482 $74,609,468 2,017 $17,929,654 $16,321,873
Maine $114,313,954 $177,376,020 $58,820,997 1,998 $12,846,727 $11,623,291
Mississippi $432,212,327 $595,877,028 $162,505,447 5,179 $34,355,118 $35,410,551
North Carolina $893,331,115 $1,470,948,574 $484,129,047 14,242 $109,926,749 $95,589,405
New Hampshire $94,020,755 $148,441,418 $49,740,602 1,404 $12,128,037 $10,585,712
New Jersey $877,537,326 $1,445,381,080 $460,135,873 12,031 $122,387,262 $104,220,972
New York $1,194,493,042 $1,964,723,139 $668,641,794 15,371 $156,054,231 $144,539,079
Oregon $159,652,843 $266,684,168 $85,095,404 2,281 $20,211,625 $16,519,806
Rhode Island $108,549,235 $167,786,994 $58,942,571 1,670 $13,901,720 $12,589,140
South Carolina $268,108,559 $413,203,002 $131,247,177 10,615 $31,432,323 $21,173,825
Texas $1,134,814,020 $2,032,731,533 $639,017,620 16,819 $144,213,917 $107,129,706
Virginia $531,253,307 $823,163,178 $244,056,471 6,944 $60,725,533 $51,846,802
Washington $359,774,539 $594,762,381 $185,140,688 4,966 $45,412,088 $38,873,569
United States†† $13,416,585,025 $32,279,006,619 $9,922,342,619 243,226 $2,320,704,050 $1,921,657,641
† The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) has expressed concern regarding the expenditure estimates from the USFWS National Survey. Readers may wish to defer to economic statistics
produced by the ADFG.
†† Small sample size (N = 10 to 30). Use results with caution.
††† Includes impacts from purchases made in inland states for saltwater fishing.

Economic Impact of Great Lakes Fishing by State in 2011

Total Multiplier Salaries Federal State and Local
Retail Sales or Ripple Effect and Wages Jobs Tax Revenues Tax Revenues
Illinois† $58,496,056 $105,389,187 $34,388,935 786 $7,937,752 $6,632,357
Indiana† $18,918,669 $27,872,459 $7,114,508 213 $1,848,465 $1,677,907
Michigan $1,272,352,928 $2,231,549,094 $774,938,502 19,805 $173,310,482 $142,872,247
Minnesota† $85,158,787 $154,284,123 $51,378,186 1,494 $12,731,265 $11,031,513
New York $612,789,066 $1,029,998,139 $340,811,049 6,787 $79,185,366 $74,954,828
Ohio $486,482,882 $759,942,999 $207,718,420 7,048 $54,068,658 $52,021,856
Pennsylvania† $55,208,013 $95,433,266 $31,861,877 891 $7,925,634 $7,315,635
Wisconsin $114,344,635 $185,460,010 $56,867,409 1,883 $13,810,484 $12,540,282
United States†† $2,971,195,133 $7,227,424,732 $2,205,174,067 49,298 $509,320,381 $408,843,114
† Small sample size (N = 10 to 30). Use results with caution.
†† Includes impacts from purchases made in inland states for Great Lakes fishing.

10 • www.ASAfishing.org
U.S. Angler Expenditures by Category in 2011
All Anglers Non-Residents
Travel Expenditures $21,789,464,736 $5,046,171,594
Food $5,435,208,401 $1,167,075,187
Lodging $2,276,110,085 $948,887,420
Airfare $622,043,680 $306,590,480
Public transportation $181,726,928 $152,377,596
Private transportation $5,457,765,693 $1,106,909,980
Boat fuel $2,209,006,533 $232,069,910
Guides $1,102,375,347 $628,563,276
Public land use fees $237,886,684 $24,443,922
Private land use fees $243,705,059 $39,845,900
Boat launching $159,626,613 $12,984,120
Boat mooring $1,447,185,966 $81,558,389
Equipment rental $245,547,365 $78,882,616
Bait (live, cut, prepared) $1,497,444,900 $155,960,368
Ice $509,494,150 $91,775,505
Heating and cooking fuel $164,337,331 $18,246,927

Fishing Equipment Expenditures $6,141,895,285 $625,615,511

Rods, reels and components $2,366,773,897 $308,271,684
Lines and leaders $593,397,572 $63,736,755
Lures, flies and artificial bait $1,169,092,498 $105,364,698
Hooks, sinkers and other terminal tackle $628,600,283 $44,797,654
Tackle boxes $141,788,645 $6,698,559
Creels, stringers and landing nets $131,514,992 $8,067,437
Bait buckets and minnow traps $81,007,729 $2,844,077
Depth finder, fish finders and other electronics $469,849,315 $50,772,714
Ice fishing equipment $241,328,298 $6,238,598
Other fishing equipment $318,542,055 $28,823,336

Auxiliary Purchases for Fishing $1,014,370,726 $97,843,446

Camping gear $483,399,663 $25,446,307
Binoculars $107,278,051 $21,511,474
Special fishing clothing and foul weather gear $423,693,011 $50,885,665

Special Equipment Purchased for Fishing $13,683,810,379 $1,077,927,233

Bass boats $1,037,787,838 $2,549,720
Other motorized boats $2,453,520,343 $348,601,670
Canoes and non-motorized boats $202,356,326 $8,777,092
Boat motors, trailers and hitches $1,219,780,914 $367,972,106
Pick-ups, campers and motor homes $7,070,365,952 $342,572,041
Cabins $370,332,556 $841,730
4x4 and off-road vehicles $1,141,003,365 $1,569,724
Other special equipment $188,663,084 $5,043,150

Other Miscellaneous Fishing Expenses $5,067,991,167 $886,524,370

Taxidermy and processing $96,356,764 $15,510,372
Books and magazines $156,328,178 $14,440,416
Dues and contributions $403,431,618 $35,088,538
Fishing licenses $630,986,633 $168,739,291
Tags, permits and other special licenses $76,818,548 $10,567,576
Land purchased for fishing $3,143,920,672 $302,709,448
Land leased for fishing $298,322,266 $122,813,926
Other miscellaneous fishing expenditures $261,826,488 $216,654,803

TOTAL $47,697,532,293 $7,734,082,154

www.ASAfishing.org • 11
The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) is the sportfishing industry’s trade association committed to representing the interests of the entire
sportfishing community. We give the industry a unified voice, speaking out on behalf of sportfishing and boating industries, state and federal natural
resource agencies, conservation organizations, angler advocacy groups and outdoor journalists when emerging laws and policies could significantly
affect sportfishing business or sportfishing itself. ASA invests in long-term ventures to ensure the industry will remain strong and prosperous,
as well as safeguard and promote the enduring social, economic and conservation values of sportfishing in America. ASA also gives America’s
60 million anglers a voice in policy decisions that affect their ability to sustainably fish on our nation’s waterways through KeepAmericaFishing,™ our
angler advocacy campaign. ASA also represents the interests of America’s nearly 60 million anglers who generated $48 billion in retail sales with a
$115 billion impact on the nation’s economy creating employment for more than 828,000 people in 2011.

This publication was funded by Multistate Conservation Grant VA F12AP00137, VA M-26-R awarded by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration 
Programs of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, jointly managed with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

AMERICAN SPORTFISHING ASSOCIATION

1001 North Fairfax Street, Suite 501, Alexandria VA 22314. www.ASAfishing.org.

QUESTIONS AND INQUIRIES

Rob Southwick, Southwick Associates, rob@southwickassociates.com

RESEARCH, AUTHORSHIP AND EDITING

Southwick Associates: Tom Allen, Rob Southwick and Doug Howlett
American Sportfishing Association: Edited by Mary Jane Williamson

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

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PHOTO CREDITS
Doug Howlett; Marc Gorelnik; Doug Olander; Rob Southwick; bagraphix/123RF.com; CharlesWilliams/123RF.com; FabienMONTEIL/123RF.com; 
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REPORT CITATION
Southwick Associates. Sportfishing in America: An Economic Force for Conservation. Produced for the American Sportfishing Association (ASA)
under a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Sport Fish Restoration grant (F12AP00137, VA M-26-R) awarded by the Association of Fish and 
Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), 2012.
Data sources for “U.S. Fishing Facts” and “Quick Fishing Facts:” U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of Commerce, Fortune magazine,
National Sporting Goods Association, ESPN and Southwick Associates.
Methodology: Data were obtained from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated
Recreation. Impacts were developed using the IMPLAN from MIG, Inc. of Stillwater, Minn. 
Special notes include:
• For some expenditures, the state where the purchase was made was not identified. These were assigned to the angler’s state of residence.
• The estimates of anglers and angler days do not exactly match numbers reported by the USFWS. The sum of the state-level numbers are 
reported here, whereas the USFWS calculated a single number at the national level. Either method is appropriate.
• The expenditures reported here may be higher than those reported by the USFWS. This is due to expenditures made by an individual for 
both fishing and hunting. In such cases, the USFWS reports these separately and not part of their fishing-only estimates. In this report, such
expenditures are pro-rated into hunting and fishing portions based on the individual’s total days of hunting and fishing, and then assigned to each
activity as appropriate. Using either approach, the USFWS’s or the method used here, the results are accurate and acceptable.
• The results can be combined with the hunting impacts reported in the hunting economics publication from the National Shooting Sports 
Foundation to gain a comprehensive picture of the returns from all sportsmen and women.